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AmaWaterways is a luxury river cruise operator that offers itineraries throughout Europe as well as in Vietnam/Cambodia, Africa, Egypt, and, beginning in 2025, Colombia (as the first luxury river cruise line to cruise the Magdalena River). The company’s 28 ships (with three more on the way) carry 150 guests on average in Europe and under 100 in other regions. They are known for offering a comfortable, friendly ambiance that instantly creates a warm camaraderie among the guests and crew. The cruise line is also known for partnerships that bring aboard families and travelers with a distinct interest in wine appreciation and bicycle touring.
The Food: The cuisine on AmaWaterways' ships typically wins raves from guests. It's not overly fussy — just delicious and packed with flavor. Especially praiseworthy: the soups, which are made fresh daily. The Vietnamese pho proved so popular that it's now offered on European ships, as well as those cruising Southeast Asia. Also worth noting: AmaWaterways’ European ships also have a second dining venue, The Chef’s Table. This intimate restaurant is located aft and features a complimentary multi-course tasting menu accompanied by panoramic river views.
The Included Excursions: AmaWaterways offers a diverse selection of tours in each port — and almost all of them are included in the cruise fare. These range from guided city tours (by bus or on foot) and visits to nearby points of interest (Salzburg from Linz, Austria, for instance) to culinary-focused excursions and more active offerings.
The Pools: Not only do many of the European river ships, including AmaSonata, AmaLea, and all new ships have swimming pools (heated in cooler temperatures), but several also include swim-up bars. These provide a relaxing spot to unwind after an active day of exploring the day’s port by foot, bicycle, or tour bus — and to get to know your fellow passengers.
Signature Twin Balconies: Many of AmaWaterways' ships are known for having not one but two balconies in some or all of the staterooms and suites. In addition to a full balcony with chairs and a tiny table, there's a second French balcony with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors.
Active Excursions: Depending on the itinerary, you may notice that AmaWaterways’ guests are somewhat younger and more active than the typical river-cruise clientele. That’s because AmaWaterways carries a fleet of complimentary bicycles on board and offers a guided bike tour and/or active hike in each port city. The cruise line also partners with bicycle touring company Backroads for specific sail-and-bike journeys.
The Largest River Ship on the Danube: Unique among river ships, AmaMagna is twice as wide as its sister ships but carries just 196 guests. This allows for a luxury of space that includes roomie staterooms and suites, four dining venues, a pool and hot tub, and a full-size pickleball court on the sundeck.
Couples: River cruising, in general, attracts couples ages 60 and older, but AmaWaterways also appeals to curious Gen Xers and even leading-edge Millennials interested in bike touring, wine-tasting, or something more off-the-beaten-path, such as watching elephants drink from the Chobe River in Africa from the ship's deck or touring historic sites in Egypt and Asia.
Singles: But solo travelers are also an important sector. AmaWaterways has reached out to them by waiving the single supplement on select sailings in Europe and offering specially-designed single staterooms on certain ships, also in Europe. In addition, a fixed-window stateroom on any Europe sailing (as well as Category C staterooms on Mekong sailings) can be booked by a single traveler at just a 25 percent single supplement.
Families: AmaWaterways has partnered with Adventures by Disney to offer family-friendly trips. Additionally, AmaWaterways was the first river cruise line to launch connecting staterooms to meet the growing demand for multi-generational families.
You’ll See Design Quirks: Unlike some of its competitors, AmaWaterways has focused less on cutting-edge or wow-factor design and more on creating a comfortable ambiance that seems like a well-loved country home or boutique hotel. In some staterooms, however, furniture is placed in front of the French balcony, making it a bit of a challenge to slide open the glass doors.
